Of Funerals and Goldfish
by EmmaBerlin
Summary: All he had to do was feed her pet. Little did he know what would happen if he decided he wanted to help out with everything else... Written for the Chit Chat Challenge # 4! Morgan, Prentiss and the team's good advice :
1. Chapter 1

Author Note: This is my entry for the Chit Chat Challenge #4.

My pairing: Morgan/Prentiss - My scenario: Character A's pet dies while in Character B's custody…and mayhem ensues

It will be three chapters long and I'm hoping to be able to post chapters two and three over the next few weeks. I know it's already September 27 but it took me so long to figure out what pet to use... :)

Thanks to Tracia and Tonnie for the challenges! I love them :)

Disclaimer: Not mine.

**Please enjoy!**

_Calling all CM readers and authors! Join us for our first Profiler's Choice CM Awards on ! Help us choose the best of the best of the CM stories on , and let your voice be heard. Anyone with a account is eligible to nominate. Please check out the nominating ballot and rules at Chit Chat on Author's Forum at .net/topic/74868/30888142/1/. All rules and information are on the forum_**.**

* * *

_Dear Morgan,_

_thank you again for doing this, I really appreciate it! Mrs. Jackson from next door told me again how sorry she is for having had to leave town just this weekend. If it wasn't for her daughter's 50th birthday she would have been more than happy to take care of him._

_Mr. Bubbles is easy to handle. After all, he's a fish. Please don't bother cleaning his fish tank. It can be a lot of work and he's very particular about how things are set up in there. He just needs to be fed. His food is in a can underneath the kitchen sink. _

_I should be back Tuesday afternoon. The service will be held on Sunday but my parents have to get back to work right away after that and I don't want my grandma to be alone so soon. After all, it's only been three days since he passed away. I have my cell with me if needed but it'll be turned off so you'll have to leave a message. But like I said, please don't bother with anything besides feeding him._

_Thank you so much for doing this, I really appreciate it!_

_Love, Emily_

Morgan put the note down and looked around. Emily's apprtment looked as organized as he would have expected from her. He let his gaze wander over her kitchen and living room and stopped when he came across the huge window overlooking the Capitol and the lights of DC. 'No wonder she loves this place so much' he thought to himself.

It was Sunday evening and Morgan had come to Emily's place to fulfill his promise of feeding Mr. Bubbles.

Sunday evening also meant that by now Emily had survived her grandpa's funeral. And he hoped that she was still holding up ok. She hadn't shown it openly but he knew that she had been crushed when she had heard the news. He's heard her speak very fondly of her grandfather on a few occasions and knew that he held a special place in her heart. She had loved him dearly. That made him even more sad when he thought back to looking at her sad face and slumped shoulders after she had gotten off the phone with her mother.

That had been on Thursday while they had been on a case in Montana. She had spoken to Hotch right away and asked for a few days off. Hotch had seen the look in her eyes and immediately agreed. She had insisted on finishing up the case with them though or at least stay until Saturday. But the team had made it back late Friday night. So after having repacked her go-bag, checking in with her neighbor and then begging Morgan to take care of feeding Mr. Bubbles instead, Saturday morning had found her on her way to Scarsdale, NY where her grandparents had resided for the last four years.

Morgan, meanwhile, had accepted her spare key and made his way to her Brownstone tonight to make his first acquaintance with Emily's little goldfish friend.

The agent trailed through the living room to the fish tank next to the window and bent down to be on eye-level with his friend's scale-covered room mate.

"Hey, little guy. Enjoying the view of the big city?" Mr. Bubbles might have looked at him or not, Morgan couldn't tell. He watched him make his way back to the small cave and disappear. He really had yet to figure out the appeal of a pet fish...

Morgan walked back to the kitchen and opened the cupboard underneath the sink. He found various boxes and bags labeled with fishy things. 'Man' he thought 'it's like a pet store down here. She must really like the little fin-ball...'

He finally found a can labeled "Mr. Bubbles" and pulled it out. Emily had told him that she would feed the fish before she'd leave and all he had to do was dump three teaspoons of fish food in the water on Sunday. He found the spoon in the can and went over to the aqarium to do just that. After the last spoonful he dropped the spoon back into the can and sealed it with the lid.

When he looked back into the fish tank he saw Mr. Bubbles hesitantly make his way out of his little hide-out and towards the surface to get started on his dinner. Behind him he was dragging a nasty looking mass of green mist. Morgan's mouth twisted in a disgusted expression.

He didn't know anything about fish, but this certainly couldn't be good.

He didn't care what Emily had said - he was cleaning the tank. That way things would be taken care of and she wouldn't have any problems when she got back.

The only remaining question was: How do you clean a fish tank?

Mr. Bubbles didn't just inhabit a small bowl fitted for a single gold fish. He had a copy of the entire ocean bed at his disposal. Taking a second look though Morgan decided that it wasn't big enough for him to not be able to carry it the few feet to the bathroom he had made out on his way into the appartment just minutes earlier.

He unplugged all the equipment placing the cords safely on the ground and wrapped his arms around the glass box. Lifting it up carefully he slowly turned around and made his way down the hall. After he had used his butt to push the door open he set the tank down on the floor and turned on the lights.

And noticed his next predicament.

Apparently, this was only the guest bathroom. There was no bathtub or even shower and only a small sink. Debating his choices he figured that carrying the heavy object all the way upstairs was not an option. The small sink would just have to do.

He went back into the kitchen to find a bowl to fill with water and grabbed the spoon net that he had noticed on his search for fish food earlier. Back in the bathroom he managed to fish Mr. Bubbles out of his comfort zone and dropped him in the bowl now filled to the brim with water which he set on the edge of the sink. He moved over to the toilet right next to it and pulled up the lid. Making sure that Mr. Bubbles was sill moving around in high spirits he bent down and grabbed the tiny cave out of the tank.

He should have known.

He should have known that you shouldn't clean a fish tank if you had never done it before. If you didn't know anything about fish and fishy things whatsoever. If whatever went wrong would greatly upset one of your best friends.

But Morgan didn't know. In fact, he was just finding out now. He was just now learning a lesson for life about what happens when you take on responsibilities you shouldn't have taken and going the extra mile when you should have stopped before the finish line.

Because when the cave-like object slipped from his hands and hit the bowl on the sink it toppled over and sent its occupant flying high. High enough to make it all way over the the still open toilet.

And Morgan was honest, losing his own balance, trying to find his footing and hitting the flush in the process wasn't helping either.

Unfortunately, realization hit too late.

By then Mr. Bubbles had already started his unexpected adventure down the drain.

"Shit."

* * *

_Honestly, I developed such a strong bond to Mr. Bubbles while writing this that when I got to the end of the chapter letting him be flushed down the toilet made me truly sad..._

_I hope you liked it! Please drop me a note about what you think and keep your eyes open for the next chapters! And thank you for reading :)_


	2. Chapter 2

_A/N: On to Chapter Two!_

_Thank you so much for the reviews and alerts! I really appreciate you taking the time to read and let me know what you think!_

_**Disclaimer: **see first chapter, because it hasn't changed :)_

_HAVE FUN!_

* * *

"Garcia, I don't think this inform-"

"I killed him."

JJ's hand held a pen in mid-air as she had just been pointing something out on the computer screen while Garcia's fingers stilled to hover above the keyboard. Both women turned their heads hesitantly and looked at him.

"What?" Garcia asked.

"I killed him! And now she's gonna kill me! God, I can already see my whole life playing an encore in my head. I am so dead..."

Both women exchanged a confused look before the liason turned back to her desperate-looking friend.

"Morgan, what are you talking about?"

"I just found a picture of him on her desk. I'd never noticed that before. And there's so much stuff for him in her house. And then I thought about it and I remembered having heard her talk about him a few times and I always dismissed it. I had no idea he meant so much to Emily and now he's gone," he huffed as he plopped down in the only available chair in the room. "And it's all my fault..."

Completely oblivious to the work they had just been doing Garcia directed another worried glance at JJ before turning her attention to Morgan.

"Sweetie, Emily's grandpa died of a stroke, you know that, right? Why would you think that you killed him?"

Morgan moved his face away from his hands and looked at them incredulously.

"What...? What do you mean?"

"Em's grandpa died from a stroke. And he was hours away from here at the time of his demise. Wh-"

"What does this have to do with her grandfather?"

JJ turned around fully and leaned back on the desk just giving the analyst enough time to pull her precious keyboard out of the way and send a slight growl her way.

"Ok, let's try this again." She pursed her lips and crossed her arms. "Who did you kill and how?"

The question came out slowly and JJ made sure that Morgan had picked up on the hint of annoyance in her voice. She really did have a lot of work to do and certainly didn't have time for this.

"I killed Mr. Bubbles."

He heard Garcia's sharp intake of breath as he didn't dare to look up.

"Please tell me you're talking about a cartoon character and not the little squishy she loves so much? Please, Derek?" she begged.

"I'm talking about the little squishy she loves so much."

There it was.

"Oh, dear God..." JJ muttered as she buried her face in her hands and started rubbing her temples.

Garcia, on the other hand, didn't say anything. Her hand placed above her heart she had a hard time taking steady breaths instead of lunging forward to strangle her chocolate-god-turned-murderer. But the look of honest and complete devastation on Morgan's face kept her from doing serious bodily harm to him.

So they all just sat there, each in their own unique state of shock. JJ was the first to voice her thoughts.

"What happened exactly?"

Morgan quickly debated lying versus telling the full and painful truth. One look at the girls broke this train of thought though. They wanted nothing but every single detail. And they would know if he was lying. Partly, because they've worked with profilers long enough. And partly, because he was just a very, very bad liar.

So all it took were a couple of stern and actually rather threatening looks from two of his best friends and he spilled.

Every. Little. Detail.

When he got to the part where he had set the bowl down on the edge of the sink he heard the next wave of expletives curse through the room. But that was nothing compared to the looks of incredibility and anger he got when he told them how he had leaned forward for support and accidentally hit the flush.

He couldn't tell with JJ but he thought he could detect just a hint of disgust for his person on Garcia's face.

And if the room had had a window that led directly to the ground six floors down he probably would have been a goner.

"I cannot believe this. I simply... I... Oh my... I just cannot believe this!"

While Garcia was still trying to make sense of what she had just been told, JJ nodded at him with a serious expression.

"You're dead, Morgan. Dead and on your way to be cremated. You might as well pick out an urn while you still can cause as soon as she gets home tomorrow I don't think there will be much time left for you to think about colors and flower arrangements."

Morgan looked up at her with pure desperation written all over his face.

"I'm just saying," JJ said, innocently shrugging her shoulders.

Garcia though looked at him and saw that all the regret and devastation on his face was genuine. And got herself back together.

"Alright. As awful... _glaring at Morgan..._ what you did is there's gotta be something to make it better."

'Or at least not make it any worse' she thought.

Ignoring JJ's sceptical and Morgan's scared look, she stated "We have to fix this."

"Fix what?"

And when all eyes shifted towards the door to watch Emily enter, Morgan knew.

There was no time left for him on this earth whatsoever.

* * *

_A/N 2: I can't help feeling worse and worse for pretty much every character, human as well as animal, in this story. But I started it so I might as well finish... :) There should be one or two chapters left._

_Thank you for reading and please don't hesitate to let me know what you think!_


	3. Chapter 3

_Thank you so much for your reviews and alerts for this story! I really appreciate you reading and taking the time to comment!_

_This chapter took me a while to write... But it's done now :) Although there will be more._

_I just uploaded this chapter and then deleted it again because I had forgotten to edit it. I hope that didn't confuse anybody :)_

_**Anyways, have fun with this! **_

_Disclaimer: Still not mine at all._

_

* * *

_

It couldn't be her.

It just couldn't.

It was only Monday noon, she wasn't supposed to be back until Tuesday night.

And he was supposed to have twenty-four hours left to live. He didn't want to give up his life yet. He at least wanted a really good last supper tonight. But, apparently, he would have to face her wrath now. To its full extend. And it wasn't going to be pretty, that was the only thing he was sure of right now.

"Hey, Sweetie. Come here."

Garcia woke him from his thoughts as she jumped up and pulled her dark-haired friend into a hug. JJ quickly followed suit and held on to Emily's left hand.

"How are you?" she asked with concern edged on her face.

Emily nodded at her and smiled slightly. "I'm ok. I guess. I don't really know... It's weird." She shrugged and turned to her left toward Morgan.

"Hey, what's wrong? You look awful, did you just attend a funeral, too?"

Morgan's eyes drifted to the floor as he shifted on his feet. "Um, no." _But I might soon and it'll probably be my own._

Emily's eyes grew hesitant when JJ drew her attention again. "What are you doing here? I thought you weren't coming back until tomorrow."

"I was originally, but my aunt talked my grandma into staying with her for a few days and they left this morning. That was probably a good idea, I'm not very good at consoling grieving people. And I didn't wanna sit at home and stare holes in my walls."

She chuckled slightly when she spoke but all three of them could tell that she didn't actually feel like laughing yet.

"Well, we're happy you're back," JJ said softly only to send an icy glare towards Morgan. When she saw him stare at their friend she slapped him hard on the should. "Right, Derek?"

"Um, sure... I'm... I..."

When he looked up he found JJ still glaring. Garcia looked slightly hopeful. Emily looked many different things. Skeptical, probably at the scene that had just played out in front of her. But most of all he saw sadness. She looked pale and tired and plain exhausted.

And all he could do was add to that.

"Emily, I..." _Oh man..._ "God, I can't do this..." He turned around and started to pace.

The girls took that as their cue. "Alright, we'll leave you guys to it," Garcia said as she once again wrapped her arms around her confused friend. "Let us know if you need anything. We love you!"

"Thanks, guys. I love you, too." She smiled as JJ squeezed her shoulder lightly and before she knew it the door was closed and the only person left besides her was an obviously agitated Morgan.

"God, I can't do this..." he murmured again.

"Do what?"

_Silence._

_A very uncomfortable silence._

"Morgan...?" she inquired slowly.

He could tell that she was getting scared by the way he was acting. So he turned around.

It was now or never.

"I, um, went to feed Mr. Bubbles last night and..."

"I know and I wanna thank you so much for doing that. I hope you didn't have to go through too much trouble for me. I can't wait to see him again. I think it's exactly what I need today."

Man, she had no idea how much harder she was making this for him.

"Em, there's something I need to tell you... And you should probably sit down for that."

"Actually, I think I'll stay where I am. Derek, what's wrong?"

She tentatively took a step forward and reached her hand out but winced slightly when he shyed away. Instead, she watched him cover half of his face with his hands.

"Derek, you're scaring me. Would you please just talk to me?"

He knew he didn't deserve her concern. So he didn't think he should be on the receiving end of it any longer.

"Em, I screwed up. Royally. And after you hear what I'm about to tell you you will hate me in a way you have never thought possible. And you will definitely have every right to do so."

He saw her frown and took a deep breath.

"So here it goes. I... um... decided to do you a favor and cleaned the fish tank. I know you told me now to and I really shouldn't have."

"Derek, what did you do? Did you break it or something? Because that's nothing you should be too worried about, I was gonna get him a new one soon anyways."

"No, no, it wasn't that. Although I really wish it was," he muttered.

It was now or never. So he squared his shoulders. looked up at her and ripped off the metaphorical bandaid.

"Mr. Bubbles won't be there when you get home tonight."

"What do you mean?"

"Emily, I killed him."

There it was.

The one thing to say that could change his life. The line that left him completely at her mercy.

And the complete silence that filled the room and crept up the walls didn't help his dread of what was about to come. He couldn't tell what she was thinking at the moment.

Until she burst out laughing. And he found the deer-in-the-headlights-look plastered on his own face.

"That's hilarious, Derek!" Emily said after about ten seconds, still trying to catch her breath.

"What? Why?" He looked somewhat dumbfounded.

"Because I know you wouldn't do something like that. You wouldn't kill a fish, you're too nice to do that." She nudged his upper arm to let him know that she had caught on to his joke.

But his look stayed fixed.

"Am I right?" she asked carefully.

"Em..."

"Oh my god..." And with that her face fell and she covered her mouth with both her hands. Only a muffled "You didn't" came out for him to hear.

* * *

"I don't hear anything. Do you think she ripped his head off?"

JJ shot Garcia a look that clearly asked if she was kidding. "Garcia, she won't do that. They will talk about it, he will apologize, she will give him the silent treatment for a few hours and this afternoon he'll bring her coffee and things will be fine."

At least that's what she tried to convince herself of.

"Promise...?" Garcia asked, her voice laced with fear and hesitation.

"Promise."

And JJ truly believed it.

Until the door was swung open and out stormed an overly pissed Emily Prentiss with a frantic Derek Morgan right at her heels.

"Em, I am so sorry! Please, you have to believe me! If I had the chance I would turn back the clock and you know that! I would never have done anything like that intentionally! I-"

"Derek, don't!" Emily yelled, spinning around to face him. She was oblivious to the other agents and security officers who had stopped whatever they had been doing to enjoy the show.

But even if she had noticed them, she wouldn't have cared. That's how livid she was.

"You don't have any idea what you did," she hissed through gritted teeth.

"Em, please, I-"

"No! You do not get to talk to me right now."

She was having a hard time ignoring the pain and devastation written all over his face but she knew that she sported the same look. And she had every right to.

She ran her hands through her hair and clutched the ends of the strands.

She needed to get away from this.

Emily turned to the girls. "Can you tell Hotch that I left? I think he saw me on my way in."

"Sure," JJ whispered while Garcia nodded quietly next to her.

"Thank you. I'll see you tomorrow."

All three of them could clearly see the tears in her eyes. They knew she was about to lose it.

"Em, I'm begging you! You have to-"

"I don't have to do anything, Derek Morgan."

And the last thing he saw in her eyes before she made her way to the elevator was sheer disappointment.

"Goodbye."

* * *

_There it is. I have yet to decide how long the silent treatment is going to last..._

_Feel free to drop me a comment! I'm always happy to know what you think :)_

_See you next chapter!_


	4. Chapter 4

**_Thank you so so much for the reviews for the last three chapters! They were some of the most thoughtful and considerate and detailed ones I have ever received and I'm really thankful for that!_**

_Wow, it's really taken me a month and a half to update. Looks like the silence treatment was a lot longer than I expected... I'm really sorry it took so long!_

_This is the last chapter of "Of Funerals and Goldfish" and I hope I'm doing it justice. I'm not entirely sure about how this turned out but I'm satisfied nonetheless._

_And I really hope that you like it, too :)_

_**Have fun!**_

* * *

Emily slammed the door shut, her keys on the kitchen counter and her purse right next to it. She didn't even bother turning on the lights yet, the skyline of downtown DC would suffice for now. As her gaze swept the dark room, however, she realized that it was indeed pitchblack in her appartment. Because there was one significant thing missing: the light from Mr. Bubbles' tank. And her companion. He was missing, too, and had been for the better part of the week.

The better part of the week. And there had been no changes whatsoever.

There had been times during the last days when Emily had doubted her right to be so incredibly furious with Derek. Deep down she knew that what he had done hadn't been done on purpose.

When he had started his story about the incident in Garcia's office she had expected everything. Burst pipes, a break in, a flooded appartment. Everything. But she had not been prepared for the true reason behind his stammering and not-so-subtle rambling.

And ever since that moment it had taken all the self-control she could muster to not lash out at him at every moment possible.

In fact, the silent treatment she had promised him before she had stormed towards the elevator and out of the building was still in service. Full force.

She wasn't used to being mad at Derek or anyone on the team for that matter. Never before had they had a disagreement that had let to what they had now. A non-existent friendship that steered clear of talking and even looking at each other. Of course, that was all on her side. He had made subtle and not so subtle efforts of trying to mend bridges but she wouldn't have any of it.

Right now, she didn't know what was carrying the bigger responsibility of breaking her heart. The way things were between them or the event that had led them to this point in the first place. All she knew was that she couldn't go on like this.

But she had her pride and even in a case like this, as heavily emotional and crazy as it was, she held on to it for dear life. And that meant that she would be damned making the first step in the right direction. She knew that she had let him suffer. Hell, everybody else had seen it. And although they did understand her side of the story, they still felt sorry for their other friend. Derek had seemed like a lost five-year-old ever since that fateful day and the situation had affected the whole team. Banter in the bullpen had died down and nobody even dared to look at Emily or Derek during briefings. They all cared for their lives very much so trying to mediate wasn't an option either. Emily was grateful for their caution.

And yet, she was lost. She couldn't figure out how to move on. She desperately wished for Derek to make the first move. But he already had made several of them and Emily still couldn't grant him a moment of her time to listen to his apologies. She was well aware that she was agonizing him but she couldn't figure out what it would take for her to turn the other way and let their friendship be what it used to be again.

After wallowing in self-pity next to the kitchen counter she finally decided to let at least the darkness surrounding her go and bent over to switch on the kitchen and living room lights. When she turned back around she immediately noticed something where the empty space left behind by Mr. Bubbles' fish tank had been. As she moved closer a candle and a picture frame came into focus. She reached out for the photo and found the picture she kept on her desk at work.

It took her close to ten seconds to realize what it meant. She had never asked Derek for her key back. He had one anyways but on one of her nightly rants to the emptyness of her bedroom she had made the resolution to ask him to return it to her so that she could give it to someone else on the team. Although she had obviously forgotten about it. Or, deep down in her subcounscious, just wanted him to keep it.

The gesture was nice but didn't make things alright again. But still, Derek had come to her place at some point during the day when she hadn't even noticed him gone and set up an altar for her deceased friend. She appreciated the thought and action and had to admit that it was sweet.

Although it didn't help her pondering about how things should go on from here.

She set the picture back down and let her hand come across it to brush against another frame. One that held a fond memory of herself and her grandfather. And when she smiled this time it was with a tear in her eye.

She sighed as she made her way back over to the kitchen.

And saw something rush across the floor. It had fur. And it was followed by a tinkling sound.

Her first reaction was to jump and somewhat scream. She didn't have furry objects in her appartment, no matter which kind.

And rodents didn't wear bells.

After debating grabbing a broom to start a chase around the appartment she thought better of it and instead went with option number two: check what it is before flipping out and only then - maybe - get a broom to start the wild goose chase.

She stayed still for a few seconds to follow the noise but it didn't take her long to find two small but bright blue eyes staring back at her. She bent down to reach underneath the kitchen counter and picked up a grey and white furball. As she stood and held it to her chest the little blue tabby immediately latched on to her finger and buried its face in the collar of her shirt.

While Emily stared down at the little pet she had a million questions running through her head, most of them she already knew the answer to: Derek. That was the only explanation.

And as she found the rolled up piece of paper tied to the cats collar she knew that it would confirm her suspicions.

She carefully pulled it out of its string, unrolled it and started reading, all the while balancing the purring feline on her left arm.

_Dear Emily,_

_first off, I know this is a cheap shot. I have no intention of replacing Mr. Bubbles and I also know that getting you a cat isn't just going to make the last days disappear in ancient history. But I'm helpless and in all honesty do not know what else to do. I know I should have apologized in person and I tried a million times. But to say that I blame you for not listening to me would be a lie. Because I would have been the same if it was the other way around. What I did, even though it wasn't intentional, was the worst I could have done to you in that moment. And even if your grandpa hadn't just died, it still would have been just as bad. I don't know if I should have been more persistent but I think we've been close friends long enough for me to know when it's best to leave you alone. _

_I had no idea that Mr. Bubbles meant so much to you. I I know that's no excuse. I should have paid more attention. I shouldn't have picked up the aquarium in the first place and gone against your instructions by doing so. I had no right to do what I did, especially since I know nothing about fish, aqariums, and cleaning them. I should have just fed him and left your appartment right away. Just like you had asked me to. My plan to help you out and make you fell better while you were coping with the loss of your grandfather failed. I only made things so much worse for you. For that and all the trouble I've caused you I am truly and deeply sorry._

_I know I can't bring Mr. Bubbles back and believe me, I would do anything. I knew that getting you a new gold fish would have been wrong. It would have been as if I had tried to replace him which I would never try to do._

_This is Fido. I got him from a shelter and we've already been to the vet and the pet store. He now has all his shots, food, and toys and knows his way to the litter pan in your laundry room. He's all set to become a constant partner and friend for you._

_I talked to JJ before I took off to the shelter because I wanted to make sure not to mess up a second time and make you hate me even more. Even though her loyalty is with you on all of this her and everybody else's mind is set on making you feel better, she said you've been wanting to get a cat for quite a while now but had no idea what to do with it when we're on a case. I spoke to your neighbor, Mrs. Jackson, before I got him and she said that she would be more than thrilled to take care of him the way she used to take care of Mr. Bubbles._

_Since I don't know how much longer it'll be until you talk to me again and I can just hope that you're still reading this and haven't abandoned Fido in the hallway yet there's something else I want you to know._

_You are one of the most important people in my life. The last days have been nothing short of painful and a complete nightmare and almost killed me. I cannot lose you and I cannot go on living like this much longer. Coming to work in the morning eaten up with guilt only to see the pain and disappointment still evident in your eyes. I will do whatever it takes to save our friendship. I will never forgive myself if I can't do that because I would lose one of the best friends and soulmates I have ever had._

_I thought you should know that. _

_Derek_

_

* * *

_

It had taken Emily a good ten minutes to stop crying and then another half hour to comprehend the extent this situation had reached. All the while she had kept stroking the cats fur, its head softly nestled against her chest.

But it had only taken her about seven minutes and fourty-two seconds to put the sleeping feline down on her couch, grab her keys, get in her car, and drive the four and a half miles to Derek's place.

The last twelve minutes had found her standing in front of his appartment door, her car abandoned outside in the parking lot. She had tried knocking twice but always stopped herself right before her closed fist hit the wooden entrance.

And sighed.

She knew it was irrational. He had always been her partner in crime and her shoulder to cry on. Not that she had taken him up on that a lot in the past but she knew that if it had been anyone else responsible for her grief he would have been the one she'd turn to.

So she knocked and waited.

And knocked again.

When the door opened a pale and tired looking Derek came into view. He reminded her of the face that had been staring back at her every time she had looked in the mirror for the last week.

But she also saw a hint of surprise and a bunch of hesitant hope in his eyes, face and posture.

And decided that she couldn't go on living like this any longer either.

He was her go-to-guy. He was her counscience at times and her safe haven of optimism after every bad case.

He was her best friend.

So, as she felt the first tears rolling down her cheeks she slumped forward and held on to his shoulders for dear life.

"I miss my grandpa so much..."

* * *

_I hope you enjoyed the last chapter! I had lots of fun writing the story (well, apart from the case of writer's block over the last month)._

_Drop me a line if you like, I really appreciate hearing from you!_

_Have a great weekend :)_

_Emma_


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